Flow is a game-changer for your business, but how do you get more of it?

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Sitting at a cafe on a lazy Sunday watching all the families wrestle their kids into breakfast and all the other parents escaping for a coffee and paper read. I feel a bit different and unusual with my laptop out, headphones in (Metallica thank you very much), sucking down a large amount of caffeine and finishing my Flow consulting course. But then, I have always felt a bit different...

Anyone with me? Or have I lost those that feel like weekends are for chillaxing and work is confined to Monday to Friday never to cross into 'personal' time.

But this pretty much my routine, it's where I feel in the zone. I do my best work when I have space and time to think and do whatever work I feel like doing, without deadlines and emails pinging every few minutes. It's my time and I love it! I even take holidays to get more of it!

Maybe I need a hobby (or a life) haha But my business is my work and my hobby. I genuinely love it and really enjoy tweaking and improving it bit by bit. Learning something new, implementing it with my clients and seeing how it helps them. I can't help thinking about it! Call me obsessed or crazy (many do) but it's just how I am. My top value is business so duh I like to work.

But why am I addicted to doing this? Why can't I just binge on some Netflix and junk food?

The answer is Flow.

It's my latest fascination. Flow is a peak performance state that is normally reserved for athletes and special forces teams, not spoken so much in business, but it should be. If you haven't read the book 'Stealing Fire' about flow then get a copy, it's crazy good.

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The reason it's so addictive is that it gives us physical rewards. Getting into flow releases the big 4 feel-good chemicals - dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. It is literally addictive like a party drug, but free, healthy and even productive!

You will know when you are in Flow when time slides by without you noticing it, everything feels Timeless, Effortless, Richness, Selflessness. You feel great, you want to help everyone, you feel grateful and your work is awesome. Give me some more of that!!

The benefits of finding your Flow are remarkable, yet people don't spend time learning how to get these rewards in their work. So they chase the same feeling in unproductive and sometimes costly habits like shopping, drugs, TV, junk food, social media and more.

But it doesn't have to be that way. If more people understood that EVERYONE could find flow in work, imagine how fulfilled they would be. How their enjoyment of work would improve, their relationships, their finances even their health.

Love your work and you will never work a day in your life is an old adage and it's true. But how? That's the $500 question, which is exactly how much I charge to find your flow haha (excuse my shameless plug).See my website here for details.

But seriously, if you are not loving your work, do something about it. Read 'Stealing Fire', research more on how to find your Flow and start the process of getting more in your work life.

Cheers Andrew

PS Check out Roger Hamiltons video on how to get into flow


Andrew Ford

Marketing expert Andrew Ford, the founder of Social Star, has discovered the secret of ‘Powerful Branding’. With a fire for unleashing people’s inner brand and developing business models to generate profit from an individual’s passions, Andrew leverages ground-breaking digital and social media marketing techniques to create digital strategies for clients to attract maximum opportunities. Having established a strong name for himself in the field, Andrew blends traditional business techniques with now-necessary tools for entrepreneurs to achieve scale, quality, and influence in their niche. Andrew’s comprehensive business background and qualifications consist of a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) (RMIT 2003), a Graduate Certificate in Management (MBA Executive Program, University of Sydney 2005), and a Masters of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Swinburne University 2011). Continually on the cutting edge of his own education, Andrew has tested his marketing theories in forums such as the BCG Business Strategy Competition, which he won in 2005 against all Victorian MBA schools, and the Venture Cup Business Plan Competition (Swinburne University 2003), which he won in the Masters category. With experience working at Hewlett-Packard, Sensis (Telstra) and IBM, Andrew also has mentored dozens of junior staffs to help them achieve their professional goals. Meeting and influencing high-profile public figures helped Andrew to realise just how many professionals require more understanding and control of their public brands or appearance, and need help with the skills to use the many amazing free tools at their disposal to generate success. At Social Star, Andrew consults with clients to uncover their personal brand – both where it is today and where it can be tomorrow – and refine and define how that should be displayed in social media in order to attract their perfect target audience. Andrew mentors his clients to rapidly grow their business’ audiences, resulting in larger potential client bases and higher revenue. Applying formulas that integrate over twenty years of Andrew’s business experience and fifteen years of formal business education, Social Star specialises in building clarity and velocity for clients’ brands using the ‘Understand, Build and Leverage’ methodology. ‘Having a Personal Business enables people to have an authentic, congruent connection with their valued clients and partners, using their brand as the bridge,’ says Andrew. ‘I’m highly driven to work with the new breed of entrepreneurs and small business owners – people who have a passion for making the world a better place. Traditional business models are stepping aside as people follow their innermost dreams and my role is to see them operate within their values while creating wealth. Some people think you have to sacrifice what you love to be successful in your business, yet it is actually the opposite. Follow your passion and success will come.’ Lecturing at Swinburne University from 2009 to 2011 on brand dynamics and digital marketing, presenting at numerous conferences, and consulting to hundreds of clients, Andrew has seen his philosophy work that if you follow your unique path, based on your skills, experience, values and goals, you will automatically attract the opportunities you desire and achieve the success you deserve. Living his mantra, Andrew has created a successful business and attracts high-profile clients including musicians, athletes, authors, models, entrepreneurs, professionals and small business owners, helping them find their ‘why’ in their business and fulfilment in their lives. Business for Andrew is more than work, it’s personal. Running a personal business means that he is able to fulfil all of his values rather than separating his life from work. It supports his two boys while providing social opportunities, educational development, fitness opportunities, spiritual fulfilment and many valuable friendships. Social Star has now become the vehicle for Andrew to crystallise his mission in the world, to help people love what they do, supporting his ‘why’, that if more people loved what they did, the world would be a better place.

 
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